The present invention relates to an automatically reversible tape deck, and particularly to an automatically reversible tape deck in which the reproducing operation is automatically stopped when the tape thereon has been substantially once reciprocated.
FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of a conventional tape deck of the type mentioned above, which comprises a tape deck mechanism 1, an end detecting means 2 responsive to the tape deck mechanism 1 for detecting an end of the tape to produce an end detection signal, a counter 3 which receives the end detection signal from the end detecting means as a clock signal, and a controller 4 for controlling the rotation of a motor or motors and the position for the head of the mechanism 1 in accordance with the operational mode. The controller 4 produces a reproduction start signal to clear the counter 3 when reproduction is started, and controls the mechanism 1 so as to stop the reproducing operation in response to a count output produced by the counter 3.
The operation of the conventional automatically reversible tape deck of FIG. 1 will now be described. The end detecting means 2 detects an end of the tape by utilizing, for example, a pulse generated in accordance with the rotation of a tape reel in the tape deck mechanism 1 and supplies an end detection signal to the counter 3. The counter 3 counts the end detection signal so as to produce a count output when the count reaches "2". The count output is supplied to the controller 4 as a stop request signal. The controller 4 controls the tape deck mechanism 1 so as to stop the reproduction operation when a stop request signal is produced from the counter 3 and, for example, also ejects the tape cassette. At other times, the controller 4 normally controls the tape deck mechanism 1 so as to reverse the reproduction direction of the tape cassette in response to the end detection signal produced from the end detecting means 2.
Thus, when the end of the tape has been twice detected in the reproduction operation, that is, when one reciprocating reproduction operation has been completed, the tape cassette is ejected to thereby inform the operator of the completion of the reproduction operation. The contents of the counter 3 are cleared in response to a reproduction start signal produced from the controller 4 so that the above-mentioned operation is performed each time after the reproduction operation has been started.
In the conventional tape deck which is simply arranged such that the tape cassette is ejected when the end of the tape has been twice detected in the reproduction operation, there is a disadvantage in that not all of the information on the tape cassette can be reproduced when reproduction starts under the condition that the tape is already wound to some degree, because it is necessary to reproduce the tape from the starting end portion thereof when all of the information thereon is to be reproduced.